[ English ]

There is a captivating background to the Cambodia gambling dens that reside just over the border from nearby Thailand, in which casino betting is not legal. Eight casinos are anchored in a relatively tiny space in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This conclave of Cambodia gambling dens is in an excellent destination, a 3 to four hour trip from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 biggest betting centers in Asia. Cambodia gambling halls do a thriving business with Thai blue-collar workers and travelers from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a couple of Westerners. The astonishing capital acquired from the gambling dens ranges from 7.5 million dollars to more than 12.5 million dollars, and there are a number of controls requirements for casino ownership. Ownership is required to be largely Thai; however, investment sources are cryptic. The borders are formally open from 09:00 to 5:00 p.m., and despite the fact visas are for all intents and purposes necessary to cross, there are methods and means around this, as is true of most borders.

The original Cambodia gambling dens premiered in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were required to close in the late nineties, leaving just one gambling hall in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a docked ship gambling den, highlights one hundred and fifty slots and sixty table games. The Naga gambling den never closes with forty two tables of mini-baccarat, 4 tables of chemin de fer, ten of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and a single table each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.

The initial casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, opened in 1999 and the Golden Crown quickly followed. There are one hundred and fifty slots and five table games at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four slots and 68 tables at the Holiday Palace. The newest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort highlights three hundred slot machines and 70 tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six slot machine games and ninety six table games, including 87 punto banco (the most popular game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Additionally, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five slot machines and sixty six of the normal table games, as well as a single table of Casino Stud Poker. One more of the 8 gambling dens in Poipet, also in a motel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six slots and 97 games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of an international vacation and hotel compound that contains numerous comforts on top of the casino, which has 10,000 sq.ft. of one hundred and thirty slots and eighty eight tables.